Guy

Guy: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “guide”
Origin: French
Say it: GYE · 1 syllable
Used for: Boys

English use comes from the Norman French personal name Guy, usually traced to Germanic Wido, from a root meaning 'wood' or possibly 'wide'; the etymology is debated. The everyday English word 'guy' is unrelated in origin as a name meaning.

French names English names Classic names Short names

How popular is Guy?

202433.0 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Guy in 2024111

2024 rank#1,559 boys

Peak year1880

Total US babies since 188090,999

Guy is steady now but far below its 1880 peak.

Names like Guy

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Oliverolive tree · French
Beauhandsome · French
Calvinbald · French
Louisfamous warrior · French
Granttall; large · French
Saintholy person; saint · French
Russelllittle red-haired one · French
Travisto cross · French

Guy questions

What does the name Guy mean?

Guy means "guide". It comes from French. English use comes from the Norman French personal name Guy, usually traced to Germanic Wido, from a root meaning 'wood' or possibly 'wide'; the etymology is debated. The everyday English word 'guy' is unrelated in origin as a name meaning.

Is Guy a boy or girl name?

Guy is mainly a boy's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Guy?

111 US babies were named Guy in 2024. Its peak year was 1880.

How do you pronounce Guy?

Guy is usually pronounced GYE.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.